


Pocket Money

by Seren_Maris



Series: A Different Path [2]
Category: Power Rangers, Power Rangers S.P.D.
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, F/M, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-09-06
Updated: 2006-09-06
Packaged: 2017-10-23 05:28:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/246751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seren_Maris/pseuds/Seren_Maris
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Z and Jack are offered a bounty they can't refuse, putting Syd in deadly danger.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pocket Money

Access to the recreation room was a privilege granted to only A and B-squad cadets. It was also a privilege which Sky was determined to take advantage of – if only to make up for four years in which the only form of on-base entertainment was the occasional poker game in the D-squad dorms.

Therefore, the first morning after his promotion, Sky headed towards the rec room, intending to celebrate his good fortune in the only way he know how – alone, with the handbook as his trusty companion.

To his great surprise, two of his other squad members were already there – and speaking so loudly that he could hear them from the hallways. "Ten-thousand fifteen, ten-thousand one-hundred and fifteen, ten-thousand two-hundred and twenty-five…" recited a feminine voice. "Jack, this isn't enough."

Determined to look unconcerned, Sky entered the room, making every effort to appear as if he hadn't been eavesdropping. Unfortunately, after a few minutes of hearing Z count, his curiosity got the better of him. "Not enough for what?" He asked, torn between friendly curiosity and suspicion.

Z and Jack both looked at each other, and Sky sensed that they were sharing some form of private, sub-verbal communication. Then Jack twisted around in the chair, and gave Sky a hostile glare. "I don't think she was talking to you." Said the new red ranger, in a curt tone that allowed for no argument.

Sky sniffed. Was he really expected to serve under this self-serving jerk? Cruger had to be out of his mind! Picking a seat as far from the pair as possible, he sat down and opened his handbook on a random page.

' _Section 104.6 - B'_  he read. ' _Disputes between cadets shall be handled by their squad leaders. If a resolution is not possible, involved cadets shall be referred to their section commander._ '

'Even the handbook has turned against me,' Sky thought mournfully. Tossing the traitorous text aside, he slouched further down into his chair, now in an even fouler mood than before. It was then he realized that something – or someone – was missing. "Where's Syd?" He asked abruptly, to no one in particular.

Z shrugged. "Last time I saw her, she was heading towards the bathroom." She glanced at the clock. "That was three hours ago."

An uncomfortable silence ensued. 'I guess I'd better get used to this.' Sky considered morosely, his joy in his promotion diminished by the thought of spending extended periods of time with his new teammates. "Well." Jack commented, interrupting his thoughts. "As fun as this get-together has been, we must be going."

"Where…" Sky cut himself off, forcibly reminding himself that what they did on off-hours was none of his business. "Remember, you're on duty at 1600 hours." Snatching the red morpher from where it had been carelessly abandoned on a nearby couch, he tossed it to its (wholly undeserving) owner. "And don't forget your morphers."

Jack mockingly saluted him, did a sharp military turn and left the room. Z paused at the doorway. "Don't mind him." She said. "He's kind of anti-authority." Z waited for his reply, hoping for some form of acknowledgement that would help her mend relations between the three rangers. Seconds passed, and Sky said nothing. 'Men are so stubborn.' She thought and turned away, hurrying to catch up with her partner.

'Good riddance!' Sky thought angrily as the door slid shut behind her. He turned the TV on top volume. 'If I had thought this was what being a power ranger was going to be like, I would have stayed in D-squad.'

* * *

Their target rounded the corner, running at top speed. Jack and Z hurried to catch up, only to discover that the alien had eluded them, and disappeared down one of the branching alleyways. "Okay." Jack said. "I'll go this way, and you search the other four passageways."

Z nodded, quickly forming three replicants. The original Z went down the narrow alley to the left, and was pleasantly surprised when she caught sight of the alien, trying to hide between two dumpsters.

Sneaking closer to her target, she reached out and slammed the alien against the wall. "Got you!" She crowed triumphantly. Pressing a button on her communicator, she spoke into the device. "I got him, Jack."

"I'll be right there." Came the reply. The two devices were a matching set, a gift from an Alzirran nobleman, in payment for their services. She still felt somewhat bad for his son-in-law, but hey – business, was business, right?

She turned her attention back to the panicked alien. "No!" He cried, struggling to get away. Realizing that he would never escape should her partner arrive, he struck out with surprising strength at Z, knocking the wind out of the bounty hunter.

Recovering quickly, she threw a round kick at the alien, who was sent flying backwards into the wall. Sliding to the ground, he barely managed to avoid a vicious kick at his midsection, and rolled away from her. Getting to his feet, he began to flee, only to find the alley blocked by a particularly annoyed-looking Jack.

"Z, are you alright?" Jack asked, grabbing the alien by his shirt, and shoving him against the wall. "I'm fine," Z replied. She took a closer look at their captive. "And look who we've found!"

Jack gave a predatory grin. "Hello, Piggy. Did you really think you could escape from us?"

"Oh! Z and …Jack." Piggy said, his voice sinking in dismay. "I didn't know it was you."

Z put her hands on her hips, and pursed her lips. "You didn't think we'd forgotten, had you?"

"Ah… come on, guys." Piggy reasoned. "Can't we just let bygones be bygones and forget about that little incident with the Supreme Commander and the Naoshan tentacle plant?"

"How about not?" Jack said, tightening his grip on the alien. Piggy gasped as Jack began to cut off his air supply. "Look, you don't want to do this. Word on the street is that you're cops!"

"We're off duty." Jack replied tonelessly.

"Wait!" Piggy cried. "I can help you. I have information. Very valuable information."

"What kind of information?" Z asked, curious. Jack tightened his grip. "A bounty." Piggy choked. "A bounty so big, that you'll be set for life."

"And what do you want in exchange for this …information?" Jack asked, dubious. Piggy was hardly the most reliable source in the galaxy, as he well knew. Piggy shrugged. "I'd think that would be obvious. I tell you, and we can just forget about our little problem. You let me go, and we can be …friends. Yes, friends!"

"Tell us about this bounty," Z said, "and we'll think about it."

Piggy shook his head. In his lifetime, he had been called many things. Stupid, however, was not one of them. "Not so fast." He replied. "Promise me that if this information is worth more than my life, you'll let me go."

"Fine." Jack said offhandedly. "Now spit it out." He shook Piggy again for good measure.

"Okay, okay!" Piggy said, giving up. Under the circumstances, this was obviously the best deal he was going to get. "Not much is known about the client, but word is that he's offering huge bounty for this one girl, a human living right here in Newtech City."

Reaching inside a hidden pocket, Piggy pulled out a grimy piece of paper. "This is a description of the girl. Simple, huh? You turn her in, make lots of money, and we can all be friends."

Jack snatched the paper from Piggy's hands, and quickly scanned it. "Wait a second! This thing doesn't have a name or anything. How are we supposed to find her?"

Z snorted. "It's a trick. Definitely."

"Deal's off!" Jack snapped, obviously sharing Z's opinion. "You're coming with us!"

"No, wait!" Piggy said, growing more desperate by the minute. "I'll even throw in the location, a genetic identifier, and the teleport beacon. Everything you need. Now will you let me go?"

The two bounty hunters looked at each other.

"Jack," Z commented cautiously. "I don't think this bounty is legit."

"Z! You aren't thinking clearly. With this kind of money, we wouldn't need to work for Cruger anymore. We could go anywhere in the galaxy, and SPD would never find us!"

"But…" Z began to object, and then remembered how Sky had ignored her, and how Cruger had forced them into service. "You're right. Let's do this."

Jack turned to his captive, relaxing his hold. "You've got a deal, Piggy."

Piggy nodded, relieved. "Great! My sources tell me that the girl goes to XI Gym later this morning. The identifier," he said, handing the device over with a flourish, "is yours. This," he gestured at the circular beacon, "will teleport you to the client's place for delivery."

The more technically skilled of the pair, Z examined the machines. They seemed to work properly – but then again, you could never tell until you actually used them. She told Jack as much, but he had already made up his mind.

"Get going." Jack said, releasing Piggy.

"Thank you, thank you!" Piggy replied, expressing his gratitude both towards his captors and whatever deity had spared his life. Casting a final glance at the Jack and Z, Piggy ran off without looking back.

Now alone, Z looked at the genetic identifier, and shook her head. "I have a bad feeling about this."

Jack turned around. "Huh? I didn't hear you."

"It's nothing."

* * *

The bounty hunters waited across the street from XI gym, trying to look inconspicuous. Jack peeked out from behind a newspaper, trying to both examine all the women who left the gym and look wholly unconcerned. "Is that her?" He whispered impatiently.

Z rolled her eyes, a gesture made invisible by her dark sunglasses. "The description says blonde!" she hissed at her partner, exasperated. "That girl was a brunette!"

"Right." Jack said, and went back watching the exit. A few moments later, a blonde girl left the gym and began to walk down the street, on the opposite side from the bounty hunters.

Z glanced at the description. She hadn't seen the girl's face, but the rest of the description, down to possible outfits, matched perfectly. "I think that's her!" She whispered, and the pair began to stalk their target, watching her every move.

They followed her until the crowds thinned out, and they were the only people on the street. As the blonde passed a narrow alleyway, Z shoved her from behind and swung her into the wall. The girl cried out and struggled but Jack, prepared for such a reaction, quickly pulled out a syringe, and injected her with a powerful sedative.

Not willing to take any chances, the bounty hunters put a dark sack over her head, effectively preventing her from identifying her kidnappers. 'Not like she'll have much of a chance.' Jack thought cynically, holding the limp girl upright as Z pulled out the genetic identifier. Taking a sample from a patch of bare skin, Z anxiously watched the indicators lights on the identifier. "It's a match!"

Activating the transport beacon, the three were quickly teleported away.

* * *

Jack, Z and their unconscious captive were teleported to a gleaming room, only to be immediately surrounded by heavily armed guards.

"Friendly bunch, huh?" Z commented.

Ignoring her, Jack took a step forward and presented their prisoner. "We have something you want."

A tall alien stepped from behind the guards. Dressed in an overpriced suit, he could easily have fit in amongst the elite of Earth – except, perhaps for his green eyes, grey skin and sculpted, pointy skull. Evaluating the bounty hunters in a single glance, he dismissed them as unimportant just as quickly. "You may call me Chiaggo." He said with a sneer. "We have been waiting for you. Follow me."

Seeing no other option, they followed their host down a long hallway into a large room. Along the walls, Jack could see the shadowy figures of even more guards – who were, if possible, more hostile and heavily armed than the last group.

Pulling out his own genetic identifier, Chiaggo repeated the test on their captive, and whispered the results in his boss's ear."Excellent." Said the mysterious client, still facing away from the bounty hunters. "She is the one. You will be rewarded for your services. I am certain that you will find this to be more than sufficient."

One of his subordinates handed Jack a tiny disk, no doubt containing the routing information for their reward. Pulling a tiny device from his pocket, Jack verified the funds, and smiled tightly. "Fine." He said, handing the girl over to the guards. "Z, let's go."

* * *

They reappeared amidst the bushes of an isolated park, on the opposite side of town from SPD headquarters. Brushing leaves and thorny branches out of their way, the pair stumbled to the road, and hailed a taxi.

Z glanced at her watch. "It's almost 3:30!" she said, dismayed.

"We won't be late." Jack replied confidently. "It'll be fine."

Hopping into the car, they directed the driver toward SPD headquarters, secure in the knowledge that they now had the resources to escape SPD Earth and its commander, Anubis Doggie Cruger.

B-squad lined up in the command center for their 4 o'clock briefing. That is – most of B-squad lined up and saluted their commander – all except one."Cadet Landors!" Cruger barked. "Where is Cadet Drew?"

Jack jumped, startled. "I don't know, sir!"

Cruger stopped pacing, and paused in front of Jack, a frown on his face. "As red ranger, it is your responsibility to keep track of your team members! Now, can anyone tell me where Cadet Drew is?"

"Sir!" Sky said. "I haven't seen her since this morning."

"Last time I saw her," Z mused thoughtfully, "she was in the bathroom."

"And when was this?" Cruger inquired, a hint of impatience in his voice.

Z shrugged. "8 o'clock, maybe."

Suddenly feeling a bit concerned, the commander turned to Kat. "Kat, can you use the computer to locate Cadet Drew?"

Kat shook her head. "Syd is not in SPD headquarters." There was a brief silence, and then one of Kat's assistants stepped forward. "Excuse me, commander." Sophie said respectfully. "Cadet Drew went to the gym this morning. But …she should have been back hours ago."

"Thank you, Sophie." Cruger replied. Why hadn't he promoted her to B-squad, instead of one of these incompetents? Oh yes, that's right. Kat needed her help with the computers. Lamenting lost opportunities, Doggie turned to his newly-formed squad. "Cadets! One of your squad is missing! This is your first assignment. Find your team member, and bring her safely back to SPD!"

"Yes, sir!" They all said, saluting their commander.

"Sophie," Doggie asked. "Did she say which gym she went to?" Sophie nodded. "It's on the east side of town. I think it's called XI Gym."

The two bounty hunters gulped anxiously, and looked vaguely nauseous. "I knew that was a bad idea!" Z whispered to Jack.

"Cadet Delgado!" Cruger snapped, his sharp ears catching her comment. "Is there anything you wish to share with us?"

"Ah… no." Z replied hesitantly. "No, sir!"

"Sir!" Jack stepped forward. "Permission to pursue our own leads?"

Sky glared at the new red ranger. "What kind of leader are you! You…"

"Permission granted." Cruger said, interrupting Sky's tirade.

"But sir!" the blue ranger objected. 'It's not fair!' he fumed. 'Why does Cruger always dismiss me – and in favor of him?' Sky shot Jack a poisonous glance, which was not lost on Cruger.

"Sky," Doggie barked. "You will work with Kat." He met each of the ranger's eyes in turn. "Dismissed!"

* * *

After their dismissal from the commander center, Z and Jack hurried into an empty side room, locking the door behind them.

"We shouldn't have taken that bounty, Jack!" Z said forcefully, guilt crushing down on her. She knew that kidnapping that girl was the wrong thing to do, but it had somehow seemed less terrible when it involved a stranger, rather than one of their squad members.

"We don't even know it was her." Jack argued. "It could have been someone else."

"Get real, Jack! What are the chances of there being two kidnappings in a single day from one gym!"

"Well… okay." Jack grimaced. "But we got the money. We can just leave now. Z, this is no longer our problem."

"So you think we should just fly off and leave her?" Z said, a hint of outrage in her voice.

"I know it sounds terrible, but Sky and the others can handle this. They don't need us! They don't even want us here!"

"But that doesn't make it right!" Z snapped angrily. At Jack's hurt look, Z shoulder slumped, visibly deflated. She sighed, giving in. "Let's go get our ship." They turned to walk towards the docking bay, where their ship was being held. Security in that area was lax, and Jack was certain that they could escape. But then what?

Suddenly, freedom from SPD didn't look so attractive. As hardened as life had made him, Jack wasn't heartless, and he knew, deep down inside, that if he should leave Syd in the hands of those criminals, he would never be able to forgive himself. Stopping dead in his tracks, he turned to Z.

"You're right. I can't do this."

"Me neither."

"Then let's go find our teammate."

* * *

The streets outside XI gym were exceedingly crowded, even in the middle of the afternoon. Questioning all possible witnesses would be a difficult task for an entire squad – for a single cadet, it was impossible.

Sky snagged a passerby by the sleeve. "SPD. Have you seen this girl?"

"No." Said the civilian, obviously in a hurry to get to his destination. "No, sorry."And that was how it went, for nearly an hour. 'Damn bounty hunters.' Sky thought. 'If I had some help…'

His morpher beeped urgently, and Sky pressed a button, allowing him to communicate with SPD headquarters."Sky?" Kat inquired, her voice somewhat distorted. "Come in, Sky."

"I'm here." He responded sourly, unable to keep a note of dissatisfaction from his voice. If Kat noticed, however, she ignored him and continued with the message. "I've been studying the signal from Syd's morpher. Before the signal disappeared, I traced it to an office building on 367 East Hanley Lane. There's an abandoned entrance at the back. That's our best bet."

"I'm on it." Sky said, glad to be making some progress.

"Sky?" Kat continued, after a moment of silence.

"Yes?"

"To avoid detection, you'll have to travel through the pipes."

"Got it."

* * *

Jack peered over his partner's shoulder, trying not to break her concentration as she fiddled with the circuitry of the teleport beacon. "What are you doing? He whispered.

Z replied without looking up. "I should be able to modify this teleport beacon to work again."

Jack nodded and watched his partner work. Z stuck her tongue out in concentration, and sparks flew from the tiny machine."There. Got it!" She looked up. "Are you ready?"

Jack nodded, determined. "Anytime."

* * *

Unsurprisingly, they were teleported to the exact location as before – alien minion, armed goons and all. "What are you doing here?" Chiaggo demanded angrily. For a moment, it looked like he was going to give Jack and Z a chance to explain themselves. But then someone caught sight of their morphers, and all hell broke loose.

"They're from SPD! Kill them both!" Someone shouted. In the ensuing mayhem, someone pressed an alarm button, and all the doors slammed shut.

Z shrugged. "Well, now's as good a time as any."

"Ready! SPD Emergency!"

* * *

As bounty hunters they were formidable opponents, but with their skills augmented by their morphers, they were practically unstoppable. Together, Z and Jack made quick work of the first group of guards.

Chiaggo proved to be a mediocre fighter and was quickly taken out by a blast from Z's laser gun. Taking the key card from his unconscious body, Z and Jack continued onwards, hurrying to face the man who (Jack was vaguely sickened at the thought) they had sold Syd to.

* * *

"Which way now?" Sky asked, coming to a fork in the tunnel.

"Left." Kat replied. "No, your other left!"

Misjudging the available space, Sky tried to turn around, only to smack his shoulder on the wall. Loosened by the impact, his morpher somehow came loose, clattering to the ground.

The sound echoed down the metal passageway, and Sky held his breath, hoping that no one could hear him. After a moment of silence he picked up the device and continued onwards, crawling through the narrow tunnels.

* * *

"Hand Syd over," Jack grated to the man's back. "And we won't have to hurt you."

The criminal simply laughed and slowly turned around in his chair. Jack was surprised to note that he was human. 'It's not only aliens who are criminals,' He reminded himself. 'With yourself as an example?' nagged his inner voice. Ignoring the whispers of his conscience, he turned his attention back to their opponent.

"That will not be possible." The man said, getting to his feet.

Acting on instinct, Jack and Z dove to the side, an instant before the guards opened fire. Seeing no place to take cover, the rangers were forced to doge and weave to evade the blasts. Z created several replicants, drawing fire away from Jack – while the red ranger concentrated on taking out the guards.

By the time it was over, both Z and Jack were panting heavily with exertion. Ignoring their own fatigue, they turned to face the crime lord.

"Very well." The man hissed, pulling a strange device out of his suit pocket. Z got a glimpse of a two mirrors, connected by a hinge. One of the mirrors was reflective, but the other was pitch black.

As he aligned the mirrors, there was a flash of light, temporarily blinding the rangers. When their vision returned, the room was filled with shadowy figures, dark humanoid forms with ever-shifting faces. "It's time for you to meet… the reflectodrones!"

"Now that's just creepy." Jack commented. "What are those _things_?"

"A gift," sneered the criminal, "from a mutual acquaintance. Reflectodrones, attack!"

* * *

Quickly drawing the guns from his belt, Jack opened fire on the shadowy monsters. Although the blasts hit the first few creatures, the survivors quickly adapted and managed to skillfully evade most of his attacks. 'They're fast.' Jack thought. 'But even these creatures must have a weakness…'

Grabbing one reflectodrone by the arm, he sent it flying into its companions. To his great surprise, the fallen creatures didn't get up, only dissolved into the shadows, as if they had never existed. "They're quick, but weak." He concluded. Drawing his sword, he renewed the attack, throwing himself at the nearest opponent.

Sometime during the battle, Z had become separated from Jack, and found herself on the sidelines of the fray. Instead of immediately diving in to help her partner, the yellow ranger did a quick tally in her head. 'Twelve of you, two of us. That's not exactly fair, is it? Let's even the odds.'

Pushing her powers to their maximum potential, Z managed to create ten replicants and set each to engage a different reflectodrone.

* * *

Faced with two power rangers and ten replicants, the last reflectodrone gave an inhuman shriek and dissolved into nothingness. The instant it was defeated, there was a loud cracking sound and the strange mirror shattered into a million pieces.

Shocked, the criminal stared at the pieces, and then up at the Power Rangers. "No! Wait! I can make you another offer. A better one." he bargained, hoping to appeal to the more materialistic impulses of his opponents. They were bounty hunters, after all. Or was this all an elaborate trap? He wouldn't put it beyond SPD.

"Not a chance!" Jack replied confidently. "Judgment Mode!"

Trapped in the blackened alter-dimension, the criminal could only wait, trapped as the machine flickered back and forth between green and red, innocent and guilty. The outcome was as inevitable as it was obvious.

"Guilty!" Jack announced forcefully.

"No!" the criminal cried and tried to run, freed from the alter-dimension. There was no escape. Z and Jack simultaneously took aim at the fleeing figure, and fired. There was a large explosion, and then the man was gone – and in his place was a thin containment card.

Z shook the card curiously, and put it up to her ear. If she listened very closely, she could hear the ranting of the miniaturized criminal. "This can't be happening!" Squeaked the tiny voice.

She tossed the card to Jack, and the red ranger examined it, giving a boyish grin. "I always wanted to do that." He confessed apologetically.

His smile was contagious, and Z soon found herself grinning right along with him. "That's enough, hot shot. Let's go get Syd."

* * *

Sky crawled along the air duct, muffling a violent sneeze as a foul smell came drifting up from the ducts. A trip through the sewers and then the ventilation systems had left Sky ruffled, dusty, and smelling like a garbage disposal. Sky sniffed his sleeve and wrinkled his nose in distaste. 'At least Kat found a better way to trace Syd.' Sky thought. 'Otherwise, I'd have to personally search every room in this building."

"You're almost there." Kat commented from his communicator. "She should be directly to your right."

Kicking out the adjacent grate, Sky crawled from the vent. Finding himself in a small room, his eyes were immediately drawn to a slim figure, who sat at the middle of the room, blindfolded and gagged. "Mmph! Gruh!" mumbled Syd, struggling to get free.

"It's okay." Sky said, relieved. "I've come to rescue you."

But before he could free her, he heard footsteps and two people burst through the door. Sky braced himself for a fight, but then noticed that they were also power rangers – and his partners, at that.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, surprised and a little relieved. "And how…" His tone turned to suspicion. "How did you know where to go?"

"Power down." Jack said uneasily. Ignoring Sky for the moment, he strode over to Syd and cut her free. The pink ranger grimaced painfully, and rubbed her hands to restore circulation. Jack was pleased to note that, despite her ordeal, she seemed none the worse for wear.

Sky tensed, fully expecting Jack to gloat, or at least make some uncharitable comment about his own rescue attempt. He was surprised when Jack backed up a few steps, and hung his head in shame. "We were the ones who kidnapped you." The red ranger began apologetically, addressing Syd. "There was a bounty, and…"

"What!" Syd demanded, outraged. Walking up to Jack, she paused in front of the red ranger, intently studying his face. "I trusted you!" She yelled, and slapped him as hard as she could

Jack put a hand to his stinging cheek, only to find himself trapped in Syd's embrace. "Thank you," She whispered in his ear. "Thanks for coming back for me." Jack was mortified to note that he was enjoying her embrace, and blushed bright red.

Across the room, Sky and Z made disgusted noises and rolled their eyes.

'Hopeless. All of them,' Sky thought, and prepared to return to SPD headquarters.

* * *

" …and that's how it happened." Jack finished his tale, leaving out the part where Syd hugged him. Pulling the crime lord's card out of his pocket, he handed it to Cruger, and stared at the pointedly at the ground.

"Cadet Landors!" Cruger growled, forcing Jack to look at him. "I am very disappointed in you, and in Cadet Delgado. As SPD officers, your duties supersede any other pursuits. Your behavior not only led to the kidnapping of one of your teammates, but is serious enough to warrant criminal charges!"

He waited, and was somewhat pleased to hear both Syd and Sky's objections. 'Maybe they'll be able to work as a team after all,' Cruger considered. But for now, it was his duty to punish the delinquent cadets. He help up his hand, and the rangers fell silent. "However," he continued, "since you ultimately stood by your teammate, and did the right thing, I will give you a light punishment."

This time, Sky was the only one who objected. "But sir!"

"Kitchen duty." Doggie interrupted. "For a month."

Jack and Z groaned, visualizing stacks of dirty dishes and un-chopped onions. Cruger gave them an amused look, easily reading their horrified expressions. "Dismissed!"

* * *

Dish washing was usually a task allotted to machines, or disobedient D-squad cadets. As the chef had gleefully told them, they were the first B-squad rangers to serve in her kitchen, and she set them to work doing the hardest tasks she could muster. Within ten minutes, Z had discovered a newfound appreciation for disposable plates.

Jack turned to Z, stifling a laugh at the image she presented. The yellow ranger was completely soaked, her hair clinging to her face in wet, dirty strands. Jack was forcibly reminded of the drenched street rat he had befriended, all those years ago. "Z, could you pass me that pot?"

The pot in question was hideously dirty, coated with grease and scum. Z gingerly lifted it by the handles, and handed it to Jack. She opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the chef, who cheerfully poked her head in the back room. "Keep scrubbing!" She admonished.

Jack mumbled something about kitchen Nazis, and picked up the sponge, half-heartedly swiping at the stains on his uniform. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone come to stand in the doorway.

"Look," Jack said tiredly. "We're working as fast as we can."

"I know." Syd replied softly. Walking to an adjacent sink, the pink ranger tied her hair back, and picked up a sponge.

He didn't have to ask. She did it because she wanted to.


End file.
